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2007 Chevrolet CobaltProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1,564 owner complaints about the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, most often about the steering. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-171 the manufacturer reports only 72% of affected cars repaired.

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
44
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the Cobalt median · #3 of 6 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 72%Owner complaints1,564204 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage52kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 3, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt has problems

1,564 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering68964
Fuel/propulsion system2833
Electrical system28123
Fuel system, gasoline1504
Air bags14449
Suspension753
Engine569
Power train432
Service brakes257
19 other systems20927

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

72%repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-171 · Apr 10, 2014 · 2,191,014 vehicles · 1,569,104 repaired

Risk. If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

72%repaired · 2016 Q2

Air bags

Recall 14V-047 · Feb 10, 2014 · 2,190,934 vehicles · 1,571,075 repaired

Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Steering: electric power assist system

Recall 10V-073 · Mar 3, 2010 · 1,050,889 vehicles

Risk. IF POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, IT WOULD REQUIRE GREATER DRIVER EFFORT AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

52kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 592 steering complaints. 80% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
81under 30k miles471under 100k miles121100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Steering

48 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $768 – $1,425

Fuel/propulsion system

18 owners mentioned a cost

$700median

Middle half: $552 – $919

Electrical system

14 owners mentioned a cost

$271median

Middle half: $200 – $419

Fuel system, gasoline

8 owners mentioned a cost

$925median

Middle half: $610 – $1,187

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2007 vs. every other Cobalt year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cobalt median. How we score

'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'16'17
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt safety ratings

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt 2-DR w/SAB (Later release) in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Electric Power Steering FailurePE10005 · closed Jul 19, 2010
    Led to recall 10V-073
In owners' words

What Cobalt owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

Fuel Leak it smells and leaks it seems to be coming from the gas tank and sometimes I get random electric failure when I'm driving I lose power steering and My brakes get stiff and hard to push down and my dash will go Off and then go crazy and show that i have no gas
Complaint 11748103 · Jul 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not…
Complaint 11702992 · Dec 4, 2025
I was in a crash on 9/19/25 and at the incident none of my airbags deployed. My daily driver for my children and I. I was lucky I was the only passenger at the time. I never expected my airbags not to deploy in a head on crash. The car still sits in my driveway and I have and identical one just…
Complaint 11689938 · Sep 26, 2025

Own a 2007 Cobalt?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.